Telephony equipment migration

ABSTRACT

A telephony equipment migration arrangement is provided. The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes legacy telephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays, at least one transport cable, with one or more connectors, to provide external carrier connectivity, replacement telephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays remote from the legacy telephony equipment, and at least one remote coupling cable, with one or more connectors, connected to the replacement telephony equipment. The connector(s) of the remote coupling cable are mounted in a location having a predetermined locational relationship with the equipment bay in which the legacy telephony equipment is located, and the transport cable is communicatively coupled to the remote coupling cable.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a telephony equipment migrationarrangement, a method of migrating telephony equipment and a telephonyequipment migration module.

BACKGROUND

Cabling records are used extensively to document the physical locationsof cabling connections in environments in which it is important to beable to identify such locations accurately. For example, cabling recordsare often used to map the cabling connections in rooms or buildings thathouse telecommunications equipment such as, but not limited to,telephony switching equipment. The exact format of cabling recordsvaries from carrier to carrier. A typical cabling record may be indexedby a circuit identifier, which represents an end-to-end high-levelidentifier. The cabling record lists the physical location of thetermination points at either end of the cable (for example using agrid-based identifier), equipment information associated with equipmentat each end of the cable, for example ‘port 57’ on ‘switch 2’, androuting information, for example which trays the cable is run in and thelike. In the event of a connection failure, for example, it is importantto be able to determine the physical location of the associatedconnection so that it can be inspected as quickly as possible. Accurateknowledge of the physical location of such connections is also importantfor less time-critical work such as upgrades or maintenance.

Cabling records are usually updated manually in that an engineer has torecord changes in the physical location of connections in a cablingrecord, which often leads to inaccuracies as a result of human error,particularly where large numbers of cables are being moved. Cablingrecord errors and/or omissions can have serious consequences if thephysical location of a given connection cannot accurately be determined,for example in the event of a failure of the connection. In somesituations, this may result in loss of service for end users.

When looking to upgrade from existing, legacy telephony equipment, whichcan occupy many tens of equipment bays, to newer, replacement telephonyequipment, questions arise as to how to migrate the old telephonyequipment to the new telephony equipment; both in terms of migratingcarriers from the old telephony equipment to the new telephony equipmentand in terms of reducing the risk of cabling record errors and/oromissions when migrating the carriers.

In some cases, the new telephony equipment has to be run in parallelwith the old telephony equipment and the circuits migrated over one at atime by rerouting the individual physical carriers and updating thetelephony equipment configuration so that the rest of the network knowsthat the circuits have been moved to the new switch. This involves anumber of expensive and time-consuming steps. Moving the large number ofcarriers involves much skillful and time-consuming rewiring, with greatpotential for error. Updating all of the per-carrier wiring records isalso time-consuming and error prone. Furthermore, to allow both the newand old telephony equipment to run in parallel during the migration, therest of the network needs to be reconfigured to see both the new and oldtelephony equipment, potentially with extra signalling links and thelike.

In other cases, the carriers are already routed through a fully flexibletransport system with the ability to route carriers to a number ofdestinations on the basis of a simple change to soft configuration andenough spare capacity to connect to both the replacement telephonyequipment as well as the legacy telephony equipment. In that case, newlinks can be run from the transport system to the new telephonyequipment during a preparatory phase, with the old telephony equipmentstill active and carrying all of the live traffic. Just before theswitchover, configuration is exported from the old telephony equipmentand is migrated into the new telephony equipment. Then, at some pointduring a maintenance window, the transport system can be used to cut allof the traffic from the old telephony equipment to the new telephonyequipment. The use of this sudden cut is important as it avoids the needfor the old and new telephony equipment both to be visible to the restof the network. However, spare transport capacity is often not availableand even when it is, the wiring record updates required for everycarrier carries a heavy cost.

It would therefore be desirable to provide improvements in migratingtelephony equipment, particularly but not exclusively, which reduce therisk of inaccuracies in updates to cabling records following telephonyequipment migration.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided atelephony equipment migration arrangement comprising:

-   -   legacy telephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays        including at least a first equipment bay;    -   at least one transport cable having one or more connectors, the        at least one transport cable providing external carrier        connectivity;    -   replacement telephony equipment located in one or more equipment        bays remote from the legacy telephony equipment; and    -   at least one remote coupling cable connected to the replacement        telephony equipment and comprising one or more connectors,    -   wherein the one or more connectors of the remote coupling cable        are mounted in a location having a predetermined locational        relationship with the first equipment bay in which the legacy        telephony equipment is located, and,    -   wherein the at least one transport cable is communicatively        coupled to the at least one remote coupling cable.

Telephony equipment migration may be improved in this way by logicallyextending the interfaces of the replacement telephony equipment in thisway, the replacement telephony equipment can be considered a drop-inreplacement for the legacy telephony equipment and the need to updatethe transport cable records may be avoided.

In some embodiments, the telephony equipment migration arrangementcomprises at least one telephony equipment migration module via whichthe at least one transport cable and the at least one remote couplingcable are communicatively couplable, the at least one telephonyequipment migration module comprising:

-   -   one or more transport cable connectors that are communicatively        couplable to the one or more connectors of the at least one        transport cable; and    -   one or more replacement telephony equipment connectors that are        communicatively couplable to the one or more connectors of the        at least one remote coupling cable.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule is located in one or more equipment bays in a location having apredetermined locational relationship with the first equipment bay inwhich the legacy telephony equipment is located.

In some embodiments, the one or more replacement telephony equipmentconnectors are for transmitting transport signals to and receivingtransport signals from the replacement telephony equipment and the atleast one telephony equipment migration module comprises:

-   -   one or more legacy telephony equipment connectors for        transmitting transport signals to and receiving transport        signals from the legacy telephony equipment;    -   one or more controllers operable to control switching between:        -   transport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephony            equipment or transport signals being transmitted to the            replacement telephony equipment; and        -   transport signals being received from the legacy telephony            equipment or transport signals being received from the            replacement telephony equipment.

In some embodiments, the one or more controllers are configured todefault to transport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephonyequipment and transport signals being received from the legacy telephonyequipment.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule comprises:

-   -   one or more relays that are controllable to switch between        transport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephony        equipment or transport signals being transmitted to the        replacement telephony equipment; and    -   one or more relays that are controllable to switch between        transport signals being received from the legacy telephony        equipment or transport signals being received from the        replacement telephony equipment.

In some embodiments, at least some of the one or more relays compriselatching relays.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule comprises one or more transport cable connectors that aredirectly connectable to the one or more connectors of the at least onetransport cable.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule comprises one or more transport cable connectors that are notdirectly connectable to the one or more connectors of the at least onetransport cable, and the arrangement comprises:

-   -   one or more adaptors comprising:        -   one or more transport cable connectors that are directly            connected to the one or more connectors of the at least one            transport cable; and        -   one or more connectors that are directly connectable to the            one or more transport cable connectors of the at least one            telephony equipment migration module and are directly            connectable to the one or more connectors of the at least            one remote coupling cable,        -   wherein the at least one transport cable is indirectly            connectable to the at least one telephony equipment            migration module via the one or more adaptors.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule comprises one or more replacement telephony equipment connectorsthat are directly connectable to the one or more connectors of the atleast remote coupling cable.

Some embodiments comprise one or more telephony equipment migrationmodule mounts, the one or more telephony equipment migration modulemounts being securable to a rack in which the first equipment bay islocated and to the at least one telephony equipment migration module.

In some embodiments, the one or more connectors of the at least oneremote coupling cable are directly connectable to the one or moreconnectors of the at least one transport cable.

In some embodiments, the predetermined locational relationship comprisesthe one or more connectors of the remote coupling cable being mounted ina location in the vicinity of the first equipment bay.

In some embodiments, the predetermined locational relationship comprisesthe one or more connectors of the remote coupling cable being mounted inthe location of the first equipment bay.

In some embodiments, the at least one transport cable is communicativelycoupled to the legacy telephony equipment.

In some embodiments, the replacement telephony equipment comprises a newgeneration telephony equipment which supersedes the legacy telephonyequipment.

In some embodiments, the legacy telephony equipment comprises one ormore legacy telephony switches and wherein the replacement telephonyequipment comprises one or more replacement telephony switches.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided amethod of migrating telephony equipment, comprising:

-   -   providing at least one telephony equipment migration module;    -   connecting at least one transport cable to the at least one        telephony equipment migration module, the at least one transport        cable providing external carrier connectivity;    -   connecting at least one coupling cable to the at least one        telephony equipment migration module and to legacy telephony        equipment;    -   connecting at least one coupling cable to the at least one        telephony equipment migration module and to replacement        telephony equipment,    -   testing the replacement telephony equipment using at least the        at least one telephony equipment migration module; and    -   activating the replacement telephony equipment.

Telephony equipment migration may be improved in this way by providingthe telephony equipment migration module which is used to test thereplacement switch and which may reduce the physical effort involved incommunicatively coupling the at least one transport cable to thereplacement telephony equipment.

Such embodiments facilitate telephony equipment migration by using theat least one telephony equipment migration module to test thereplacement telephony equipment.

Some embodiments comprise activating the replacement telephony equipmentvia the telephony equipment migration module.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule comprises:

-   -   one or more legacy telephony equipment connectors for        transmitting transport signals to and receiving transport        signals from the legacy telephony equipment;    -   one or more replacement telephony equipment connectors for        transmitting transport signals to and receiving transport        signals from the replacement telephony equipment; and    -   one or more controllers operable to control switching between:        -   transport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephony            equipment or transport signals being transmitted to the            replacement telecommunication switch; and        -   transport signals being received from the legacy telephony            equipment or transport signals being received from the            replacement telecommunication switch.

Some embodiments comprise operating the control module to switch fromtransport signals being received from the legacy telephony equipment totransport signals being received from the replacement telecommunicationswitch, while transport signals are being transmitted to the legacytelephony equipment.

Some embodiments comprise operating the control module to switch fromtransport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephony equipment totransport signals being transmitted to the replacement telecommunicationswitch, while transport signals are being received from the legacytelephony equipment.

Some embodiments comprise:

-   -   decoupling the at least one transport cable from the at least        one telephony equipment migration module;    -   decoupling the at least one remote coupling cable from the at        least one telephony equipment migration module; and    -   communicatively coupling the at least one transport cable to the        at least one remote coupling arrangement.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided atelephony equipment migration module, comprising:

-   -   one or more transport cable connectors;    -   one or more legacy telephony equipment connectors for        transmitting transport signals to and receiving transport        signals from legacy telephony equipment;    -   one or more replacement telephony equipment connectors for        transmitting transport signals to and receiving transport        signals from replacement telephony equipment; and    -   one or more controllers operable to control switching between:        -   transport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephony            equipment or transport signals being transmitted to the            replacement telecommunication switch; and        -   transport signals being received from the legacy telephony            equipment or transport signals being received from the            replacement telecommunication switch.

Telephony equipment migration may be improved in this way byfacilitating a more complete testing of individual connections prior tomigration.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description of preferred embodiments of theinvention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a telephony system that includes atelephony equipment migration arrangement in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a telephony system including a telephonyequipment migration arrangement which includes a telephony equipmentmigration module in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a telephony system that includes atelephony equipment migration arrangement which includes a telephonyequipment migration module in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a telephony system prior totelephony equipment migration.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a telephony system duringtelephony equipment migration in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a telephony system aftertelephony equipment migration in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a telephony equipment migration modulein accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a telephony equipment migration modulein accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a telephony system 100 that includes atelephony equipment migration arrangement in accordance with someembodiments.

The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes at least legacytelephony equipment 105 and replacement telephony equipment 110, forexample legacy and replacement telephony switches. For example, thelegacy telephony equipment 105 may be or may form part of a legacy CLASS4 switch and the replacement telephony equipment 110 may be or may formpart of new generation telephony equipment which supersedes the legacytelephony equipment 105. The telephony system 100 may include othertelephony equipment, such as other telephony switches, that are notinvolved in the migration.

The legacy telephony equipment 105 and the replacement telephonyequipment 110 support a number of copper-based Time-divisionMultiplexing (TDM) carriers, such as DS1, DS3 and the like. Some of thecarriers are for access lines and some are for trunk use. The exactwiring used (for example twisted pair, coaxial or the like) differsaccording to the carrier type. However, these all have separate transmitand receive signals. These signals terminate at one or more transportcable connectors 106, 111 on the legacy telephony equipment 105 and thereplacement telephony equipment 110 respectively.

For DS1 signals, the wiring used is often twisted pair, with ahigh-density connector such as RJ21/Telco50, Champ64 or Champ24 commonlyused at the telephony equipment end. For DS3, coaxial cabling with BNCconnectors may be used.

The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes legacy telephonyequipment 105 that is located in one or more equipment bays, includingat least a first equipment bay 107. In some cases, the legacy telephonyequipment 105 takes up a single equipment bay and in other cases thelegacy telephony equipment 105 takes up multiple equipment bays,potentially across multiple equipment racks and potentially spanningmultiple rooms, floors or buildings. Other equipment may be located inother equipment bays in the racks in which the legacy telephonyequipment 105 is located.

The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes at least onetransport cable 115 having one or more connectors 120. The at least onetransport cable 115 provides external carrier connectivity in thetelephony system 100.

The replacement telephony equipment 110 is located in one or moreequipment bays 112 remote from the legacy telephony equipment 105.Similarly to the legacy telephony equipment 105, the replacementtelephony equipment 110 takes up a single equipment bay or takes upmultiple equipment bays, potentially across multiple equipment racks.The replacement telephony equipment 110 may be located, for example, ina different room, floor or building from the legacy telephony equipment105.

The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes at least oneremote coupling cable 125 connected to the replacement telephonyequipment 110 and comprising one or more connectors 130. In someembodiments, the at least one remote coupling cable 125 extends from thereplacement telephony equipment 110 to the legacy telephony equipment105.

The at least one transport cable 115 is communicatively coupled to theat least one remote coupling cable 125. As depicted in FIG. 1,connectors 120 of two transport cables 115 are coupled to correspondingconnectors 130 of two remote coupling cables 125.

The one or more connectors 130 of the remote coupling cable 125 aremounted in a location having a predetermined locational relationshipwith the first equipment bay in which the legacy telephony equipment 105is located.

In some embodiments, the predetermined locational relationship comprisesthe one or more connectors 130 of the remote coupling cable 125 beingmounted in a location in the vicinity of the first equipment bay. Insome embodiments, the predetermined locational relationship comprisesthe one or more connectors 130 of the remote coupling cable 125 beingmounted in the location of the first equipment bay. As such, the remotecoupling cable 125, which is sometimes referred to herein as a remotingcable, extends the connectors, for example female connectors, presentedby the replacement telephony equipment 110 to one or more locationshaving a predetermined locational relationships with the first equipmentbay in which the legacy telephony equipment 105 is located. Theconnectors 130 of the remote coupling cable 125 may be mounted above, tothe side of, in front of, behind, or below the first equipment bay. Theconnectors 130 of the remote coupling cable 125 may be mounted in aspare bay in the rack in which the first equipment bay is located, forexample above or below the first equipment bay, or above or below therack, for example in a cable tray above the rack. This allows thereplacement telephony equipment 110 logically to have its connectors inthe same or close bays as the legacy telephony equipment 105 which, aswill be explained below, minimises the need to change transport cablerecords as part of the migration. By extending the interfaces of thereplacement telephony equipment 110 in this way, the replacementtelephony equipment 110 can be considered a drop-in replacement for thelegacy telephony equipment 105 and the need to update the transportcable records may be avoided.

In some embodiments, the connectors 130 of the remote coupling cable 125are mounted in a spare bay in an adjacent rack in the vicinity of thefirst equipment bay. However, this may necessitate some updating of thecabling records, for example if the adjacent rack is associated with adifferent, for example grid-based, physical location identifier.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a telephony system 100 including atelephony equipment migration arrangement which includes a telephonyequipment migration module in accordance with some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the telephony equipment migration arrangementcomprises at least one telephony equipment migration module 135. In someembodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migration module 135is located in one or more equipment bays in a location having apredetermined locational relationship with the first equipment bay inwhich the legacy telephony equipment 105 is located. The telephonyequipment migration module 135 may take the form of a panel. Thetelephony equipment migration module 135 may be provided in variousform-factors, for example 3 Rack Units (U) high at 23″ spacing or 2Uhigh at 19″ spacing. Other form-factors are possible.

The at least one transport cable 115 and the at least one remotecoupling cable 125 are communicatively couplable via the telephonyequipment migration module 135.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 comprises flanges via which the at least one telephonyequipment migration module 135 is securable in the one or more equipmentbays of the rack.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 includes three groups ofconnectors 136, 137, 138, having appropriate labels such as “Transport”,“Legacy” and “Replacement”.

The at least one telephony equipment migration module 135 comprises oneor more transport cable connectors 136 that are communicativelycouplable to the one or more connectors 120 of the at least onetransport cable 115.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 comprises one or more transport cable connectors 136 that aredirectly connectable to the one or more connectors 120 of the at leastone transport cable 115.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 comprises one or more transport cable connectors 136 that arenot directly connectable to the one or more connectors 120 of the atleast one transport cable 115. In such embodiments, the telephonyequipment migration arrangement comprises one or more adaptors which maybe provided in an appropriate form, such as in the form of one or morecables with appropriate connectors at each end.

For example, the one or more adaptors may comprise, at one end, one ormore transport cable connectors that are directly connected to the oneor more connectors 120 of the at least one transport cable 115 and, atthe other end, one or more connectors that are directly connectable tothe one or more transport cable connectors 136 of the at least onetelephony equipment migration module 135. In some embodiments, the oneor more connectors of the one or more adaptors that are directlyconnectable to the one or more transport cable connectors 136 of the atleast one telephony equipment migration module 135 can also be directlyconnected to the one or more connectors 130 of the at least one remotecoupling cable 125 (after they have been disconnected from the one ormore transport cable connectors 136). The at least one transport cable115 is thereby indirectly connectable to the at least one telephonyequipment migration module 135 via the one or more adaptors.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 also comprises one or morereplacement telephony equipment connectors 138 that are communicativelycouplable to the one or more connectors 130 of the at least one remotecoupling cable 125. The one or more replacement telephony equipmentconnectors 138 are for transmitting transport signals to and receivingtransport signals from the replacement telephony equipment 110 via theat least one remote coupling cable 125.

In some embodiments, the replacement telephony equipment connectors 138,which may be standard connectors, on the telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 are directly connectable to the connectors 130 of the remotecoupling cable 125. For example, the replacement telephony equipmentconnectors 138 may be male connectors that are directly couplable tocorresponding female connectors 130 of the remote coupling cable 125.

In some embodiments, the replacement telephony equipment connectors 138are not directly connectable to the connectors 130 of the remotecoupling cable 125. In such embodiments, adaptors, such as a set ofgender-changer cables, may be provided to allow the (for example,female) connectors 130 on the remote coupling cable 125 to be connectedto the (for example, female) replacement telephony equipment connectors138 on the telephony equipment migration module 135.

In some embodiments, the telephony equipment migration module 135comprises one or more legacy telephony equipment connectors 137 fortransmitting transport signals to and receiving transport signals fromthe legacy telephony equipment 105. In some embodiments, the at leastone transport cable 115 is communicatively coupled to the legacytelephony equipment 105 via the telephony equipment migration module135, for example via one or more coupling cables 140.

The one or more legacy telephony equipment connectors 137 on thetelephony equipment migration module 135, which may be industry-standardconnectors, may be connected to, most likely different, connectors 106on the legacy telephony equipment 105 using one or more adaptors.Multiple types of legacy telephony equipment 105 are therefore supportedby, or couplable with, a given telephony equipment migration module 135by using different adaptors of appropriate types.

As explained above, adaptors may be needed to enable communicativecoupling of different entities in the telephony system 100. Suchadaptors may be in the form of coupling cables, which are also referredto herein as personality or adaptor cables. However, it will beappreciated that adaptors in non-cable from may also be used ifappropriate.

In some embodiments, two sets of personality cable are used formigration.

One set of personality cables has connectors, for example femaleconnectors, matching the connectors 106 on the legacy telephonyequipment 105 at one end and has connectors, such as male connectors,which match the transport cable connectors 136 on the telephonyequipment migration module 135 at the other end. Such personality cablesare used to connect the transport cables 115 to the telephony equipmentmigration module 135.

Another set of personality cable has connectors, for example maleconnectors, matching the connectors 120 on the transport cables 115 atone end and has connectors, such as male connectors, that match thelegacy telephony equipment connectors 137 on the telephony equipmentmigration module 135 at the other end. Such personality cables are usedto connect the legacy telephony equipment 105 to the telephony equipmentmigration module 135.

The personality cables may be octopus cables that convert from a numberof connectors, for example on the legacy telephony equipment 105, to adifferent number of connectors, for example on the telephony equipmentmigration module 135, when the number of carriers per connector at oneend differs from the number of carriers per connector on the other end.

In some embodiments, the adaptors that allow the transport cables 115 tobe connected to the telephony equipment migration module 135 aredesigned or selected so that the adaptors are also directly connectableto the connectors 130 of the remote coupling cables 125 (for examplewhen the adaptors are disconnected from the telephony equipmentmigration module 135), so that they could form a running cable-cablejoin if they were first disconnected from the telephony equipmentmigration module 135. This can improve long term reliability and canminimise costs because the telephony equipment migration module 135 canbe removed and reused to perform other migrations.

Thus, one or more telephony equipment migration modules 135 are providedat the interface between the one or more transport cables 115 and thelegacy telephony equipment 105, with additional connections to thereplacement telephony equipment 110 via the one or more remote couplingcables 125. The telephony equipment migration module 135 is designed tosit temporarily in the signal path to facilitate seamless migration. Theinsertion of the telephony equipment migration module 135 at thepre-existing interface on the legacy telephony equipment 105 bothminimises physical effort involved in the migration and also minimisesthe room for error in relation to updating the transport cable recordsfollowing migration.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 comprises one or more controllers operable to controlswitching between transport signals being transmitted to the legacytelephony equipment 105 or transport signals being transmitted to thereplacement telephony equipment 110, and transport signals beingreceived from the legacy telephony equipment 105 or transport signalsbeing received from the replacement telephony equipment 110.

The telephony equipment migration modules 135 may include controlcircuits and relays, for example latching relays, to allow separateswitching of the transport transmit and receive signals betweencorresponding legacy telephony equipment transmit and receive connectors137 and corresponding replacement telephony equipment transmit andreceive connectors 138.

The separate transmit and receive selection allows both easilyreversible signal switching and also full testing of the individualcarriers prior to the main cutover, for example under remote control.The use of relays allows testing of the connections to the legacytelephony equipment 105 and the replacement telephony equipment 110,followed by a quick and easily reversed switch of some or all of thecarriers between the legacy telephony equipment 105 and the replacementtelephony equipment 110 if required.

In some embodiments, the one or more controllers are configured todefault to transport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephonyequipment 105 and transport signals being received from the legacytelephony equipment 105. The telephony equipment migration module 135thus comprises logic to default to a safe state in the absence of beinginstructed to the contrary.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 comprises one or more relays that are controllable to switchbetween transport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephonyequipment 105 or transport signals being transmitted to the replacementtelephony equipment 110, and one or more relays that are controllable toswitch between transport signals being received from the legacytelephony equipment 105 or transport signals being received from thereplacement telephony equipment 110. In some embodiments, at least someof the one or more relays comprise latching relays, which allowcontinued stable operation in the event of loss of power or connection.The latching relays may be high reliability, Bellcore-certified latchingrelays.

The at least one telephony equipment migration module 135 may alsoinclude a self-test function to allow off-line verification of thecorrect functioning of all the relays. In some embodiments, thetelephony equipment migration module 135 includes a self-test port forfully testing the relay function of the telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 using an external cable set. The telephony equipmentmigration module 135 may comprise built-in drivers for self-test of therelays.

The telephony equipment migration arrangement may comprise one or morecontrol systems comprising one or more control servers to control thetelephony equipment migration procedure. The control servers present aUser Interface (UI) to migration engineers and are used to control thetelephony equipment migration modules 135. The control servers mayinterrogate and control the legacy telephony equipment 105 and thereplacement telephony equipment 110. The control servers have logic forintegrating some or all of these steps to locate the telephony equipmentmigration modules 135 and test they have been correctly installed, testthe wiring or connectivity to the legacy and replacement telephonyequipment 110, manage the cutover from the legacy telephony equipment105 to the replacement telephony equipment 110, and/or inventory thevarious parts of the telephony system 100.

The control server may take the form of one or more units that run theUI that is presented to staff or engineers carrying out the migration.The control server may run a general purpose Operating System (OS), forexample Linux™, communicate with the telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 over a control network (which may be an Ethernet, but couldbe another interface such as serial), communicate with the legacytelephony equipment 105 and the replacement telephony equipment 110, andpresent a control UI, for example as a web interface. The control serverholds a mapping file containing the mapping between physical ports andcarriers on the telephony equipment management interfaces. The mappingfile contains a mapping from the physical ports and carriers as seen bythe telephony equipment migration module 135, to the logical identifiersused on management interfaces to the legacy telephony equipment 105 andthe replacement telephony equipment 110 so that the migration controlsoftware can manage the status of the given carriers during themigration and test process.

The precise way in which the management status of each carrier isaccessed can vary between the different telephony equipment. Forextensibility, telephony equipment-specific management code is providedin well-defined modules to allow easy changing for different telephonyequipment systems. In other words, specific code can be contained incleanly isolated modules so that core migration management code can beused unchanged, with customisation for the telephony equipment being inlimited pieces of equipment-specific code.

The control servers coordinate operation of the telephony equipmentmigration modules 135 alongside higher-level legacy telephony equipment105 and replacement telephony equipment 110 management state. Thecontrol servers may be provided in a single, separate unit thatcommunicates with telephony equipment migration modules 135, for exampleusing the Internet Protocol (IP), and with the legacy telephonyequipment 105 and the replacement telephony equipment 110 overappropriate management interfaces. The control servers offer a fullyautomated test/cut/retest function for use at the point of actualmigration.

The control system thus provides a centralised UI, mapping records andswitch interfaces to allow full end-to-end testing of the remap, smooth,easily reversible cut-over.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 may be controlled andpowered from a central network and power infrastructure, for examplefrom one or more Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switches. There are varioussuch switches already available that may be suitable, for example theCisco™ 3560X switch series, in particular but not exclusively the CiscoWS-C3560X-48P-L model with 2×440 W DC PSUs. Using existing switchinghardware may be beneficial in terms of minimising new hardwaredevelopment, to control the risks and costs associated with migrationand to protect timescales. Such switches are ideally NetworkEquipment-Building System (NEBS)-compliant, have dual feed, redundant DCpower supplies, at least 48 ports (so that only one or two switches maybe required) and per-port DHCP so that the IP address of the telephonyequipment migration module 135 is determined automatically by the portto which the control server is connected.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 may comprise one or morecontrol and power interfaces 145 that may be common between differenttypes of telephony equipment migration modules 135. The control andpower interface 145 may be designed so as to offer flexibility and easeof integration, possible using industry standard connectors wherepossible. The telephony equipment migration module 135 may require verylittle power (for example less than 1 W), so combining power and controlcables may be beneficial. The control interface 145 may be of aplug-and-go type so that minimal configuration is required.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a telephony system 100 that includes atelephony equipment migration arrangement which includes a telephonyequipment migration module in accordance with some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the at least one telephony equipment migrationarrangement comprises one or more support arrangements or telephonyequipment migration mounts 150 via which the at least one telephonyequipment migration module 135 is indirectly securable to an equipmentrack in which the first equipment bay is located.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 may be mounted in sparespace in the racks or bays of the legacy telephony equipment 105, ormounted on cable trays above or below the legacy telephony equipment105, for example using custom brackets which may be of a quick-release,boltless design.

In some embodiments, the telephony equipment migration module 135 ismounted in or on cable trays that are provided above the racks. Thetelephony equipment migration module 135 may be mounted using quickremoval clamps and the specific mounting hardware may be customisable toparticular racks without changing other parts of the telephony equipmentmigration module 135.

In some embodiments, the telephony equipment migration module 135 isfixed to one or more mounts 150, such as brackets, which are fitted ontop of existing cable trays. The telephony equipment migration module135 is bolted to the mounts 150 through existing holes in the sideflanges of the telephony equipment migration module 135 that are used tobolt the telephony equipment migration module 135 to the rack. In someembodiments, the telephony equipment migration module 135 is bolted tobrackets that clamp over the lip of an existing cable tray. Thetelephony equipment migration module 135 may alternatively be providedbelow the racks or behind or in front of the racks on extensionelements.

One or more flat strips or washers may be provided underneath thetelephony equipment migration module 135 for rigidity. The telephonyequipment migration module 135 may be mounted with its connectors facingoutwards, bolted onto the front of the brackets, so that the weight ofthe telephony equipment migration module 135 rests on top of the cabletray. For different cable trays, the mounts may need to be redesigned tobe mountable on the cable tray. However, the telephony equipmentmigration module 135 itself need not be redesigned if the mounts aresecurable to the telephony equipment migration module 135, for exampleusing the side flanges.

A method of migrating telephony equipment will now be described. Themethod may be performed using a telephony equipment migrationarrangement as described herein.

At least one telephony equipment migration module 135 is provided. Atleast one transport cable 115 is connected to the at least one telephonyequipment migration module 135. At least one coupling cable 140 isconnected to the at least one telephony equipment migration module 135and to the legacy telephony equipment 105. At least one coupling cable125 is connected to the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 and to the replacement telephony equipment 110. Thereplacement telephony equipment 110 is tested using at least the atleast one telephony equipment migration module 135.

The replacement telephony equipment 110 is then activated. Thereplacement telephony equipment 110 may be activated via the telephonyequipment migration module 135. Activation, in this sense, maycomprising cutting all of the traffic that was previous beingcommunicated to/from the legacy telephony equipment 105 to/from thereplacement telephony equipment 110.

In more detail, a process of cutover from the legacy telephony equipment105 to the replacement telephony equipment 110 may be performed asfollows.

The control system and the power and networking infrastructure areinstalled. This is followed by basic testing. Management interfaces tothe legacy telephony equipment 105 and the replacement telephonyequipment 110 are defined. This includes an initial import of mappingrecords, followed by basic testing. One or more telephony equipmentmigration modules 135 are then installed. The connection to the controlservers is tested and a self-test of the relay function of the telephonyequipment migration module 135 is performed. One or more remote couplingcables 125 are installed from the replacement telephony equipment 110 tothe telephony equipment migration module 135. The telephony equipmentmigration module 135 is inserted into the path of the existing transportconnections on a module-by-module basis, possibly using appropriatepersonality cables.

As explained above, the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 comprises one or more legacy telephony equipment connectors137 for transmitting transport signals to and receiving transportsignals from the legacy telephony equipment 105 and one or morereplacement telephony equipment connectors 138 for transmittingtransport signals to and receiving transport signals from thereplacement telephony equipment 110. The at least one telephonyequipment migration module 135 also comprises one or more controllersoperable to control switching between transport signals beingtransmitted to the legacy telephony equipment 105 or transport signalsbeing transmitted to the replacement telecommunication switch andtransport signals being received from the legacy telephony equipment 105or transport signals being received from the replacementtelecommunication switch. The control module is operable to switch fromtransport signals being received from the legacy telephony equipment 105to transport signals being received from the replacementtelecommunication switch, while transport signals are being transmittedto the legacy telephony equipment 105. The control module is alsooperable to switch from transport signals being transmitted to thelegacy telephony equipment 105 to transport signals being transmitted tothe replacement telecommunication switch, while transport signals arebeing received from the legacy telephony equipment 105.

The control system performs some or all of the following steps to allowfull testing of the correct insertion of the telephony equipmentmigration modules 135.

As a first step, with the transmit and receive switches or relays in thelegacy telephony equipment 105 position, the legacy telephony equipment105 transmitter enabled and the replacement telephony equipment 110transmitter disabled, the control system verifies that there are noalarms on the given circuit at the legacy telephony equipment 105 andthat there is Loss of Signal (LOS) at the replacement telephonyequipment 110.

As a second step, the receive relay is moved to the replacementtelephony equipment 110 position and the control system verifies thatthe legacy telephony equipment 105 detects LOS and that the replacementtelephony equipment 110 achieves frame lock.

As a third step, the transmit relay is moved to the replacementtelephony equipment 110 position and the control system verifies thatthe legacy telephony equipment 105 is still detecting LOS and that thereplacement telephony equipment 110 now shows a Remote Defect Indicator(RDI) or blue alarm.

As a fourth step, the replacement telephony equipment 110 transmitter isenabled and the control system verifies that the legacy telephonyequipment 105 is still detecting LOS but that the alarms on thereplacement telephony equipment 110 port clear, and that there are noslips, Bipolar Violations (BPVs) or other coding errors.

As a fifth step, both relays are moved back to the legacy telephonyequipment 105 position and the control system verifies that the legacytelephony equipment 105 alarms clear and that the replacement telephonyequipment 110 shows LOS.

Thus, to minimise disruption, as each telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 is re-cabled, the control system exercises the relays incombination with communicating with the legacy telephony equipment 105and the replacement telephony equipment 110, to verify the correctcabling and end-to-end function. With all cabling complete, the mappingrecords are updated, the state of all carriers queried to identifycarriers that have failed for external reasons, and then a final test iscarried out to verify the wiring.

The cut is then undertaken by flipping all of the relays in thetelephony equipment migration module 135 to the legacy telephonyequipment 105 position, with the control system querying all carrierstates afterwards to verify success.

In the event of failure, the cut can quickly be reversed.

In the event of success, after a suitable period of bedding in, thetelephony equipment migration module 135 can be removed during amaintenance window. In some embodiments, the remote coupling cable 125may be directly connected to the transport personality cables or thetransport cables 115 themselves. The status of the replacement telephonyequipment 110 may be verified via the control system.

The at least one transport cable 115 is decoupled from the at least onetelephony equipment migration module 135 and the at least one remotecoupling cable 125 is also decoupled from the at least one telephonyequipment migration module 135. The at least one transport cable 115 andthe at least one remote coupling cable 125 are then communicativelycoupled together. The personality cables for connecting the legacytelephony equipment 105 to the telephony equipment migration modules135, the telephony equipment migration modules 135, the network andpower infrastructure and control servers can then be reused, for examplefor future migrations. The telephony equipment migration modules 135 maybe removed, for example for use in another telephony equipmentmigration.

As explained above, a sudden cut migration may be achieved to minimiseimpact on the rest of the network. Furthermore, migration may be simpleand cheap to deploy, both in terms of hardware cost and physicalprocess. A large degree of pre-testing may be supported to ensure thatthe cut proceeds cleanly. An easy backout may be provided in case ofproblems. The impact to the long-term reliability of the replacementtelephony equipment 110 need not be adversely affected. Finally,migration can be customised to different telephony equipment types.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a telephony system 100 prior totelephony equipment migration.

In this telephony system 100, a site is shown that includes a CLASS 4switch; legacy telephony equipment 110.

The CLASS 4 switch is not VoIP capable and it may be desired to migratethe CLASS 4 switch to a more modern platform, replacement telephonyequipment 105, which still captures the existing function of the CLASS 4switch. Signalling may be ported from the CLASS 4 switch to a moremodern signalling platform and the media may be handled via highfunction H.248 media gateways, such as Next Generation Media Gateways(NGMGs).

As explained above, one option would be to migrate circuit by circuit toreplacement telephony equipment 105 which is run in parallel with thelegacy CLASS 4 switch 110, with circuits migrated over one-by-one over along period of time. However, this is an expensive and time-consumingprocess and it is quite possible that inaccuracies would be introducedinto transport cabling records as part of the migrations. As explainedbelow, hardware that offers a flash cut migration and which enables thetransport cable connectors 120 at the CLASS 4 switch 110 end to remainin substantially the same location, may greatly reduce migration effort,result in a much higher migration rate, and may reduce the risk ofinaccuracies in transport cabling records. The distribution of switchports on the new switch, using remote coupling cables, can also be madeto match the distribution of switch ports on the old switch, allows thecabling records to be entirely unchanged.

The telephony system 100 comprises a transport network 150.

A number of DS3 transport cables connect a DS3 termination frame orinterface 155 of the CLASS 4 switch 110 to the transport network 150.This connection is via a Digital Signal Cross-connect (DSX)-3arrangement 157 which provides temporary or permanent cross connectionsbetween network elements on both of its sides. The DS3 termination frame155 may include two bays which each terminate six DS3s.

One or more signal processing elements (not shown) may also be includedin the signal path between the transport network 150 and the DS3termination frame 155.

A number of transport cables (a combination of DS3 and DS(X-)1 cables)also connect a DS1 termination frame or interface 170 of the CLASS 4switch 110 to the transport network 150. The DS1 termination frame 170may be made up of, for example, three bays, where two of the bays eachterminate 80 DS1s.

In more detail, DS3 transport cables provide connectivity from thetransport network 150 to a multiplexer 160 which multiplexes DS3 andDS1s. DS1 (or DSX-1) cables connected at one end to the multiplexer 160connect at their other end to a Digital Signal Cross-connect (DSX)-1arrangement 165, which serves the same purpose as the above-describedDSX-3 arrangement 157. One or more signal processing elements (notshown) may also be included in the signal path between the transportnetwork 150 and the DS1 termination frame 170.

The shield of the cables that connect the DSX-1 arrangement 165 to theDS1 termination frame 170 is grounded at the DSX-1 arrangement 165 end,whereas the connectors at the DS1 termination frame 170 end float.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a telephony system 100 duringtelephony equipment migration in accordance with some embodiments.

The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes a plurality ofDS3 breakout panels 180 which provide DS3 interfaces to several NGMGs185. Bulk termination of DS1s via DS3 breakout panel 180 is provided viaone or more ultra-high density M13 multiplexers 190. An example of sucha multiplexer is the Adtran™ MX2820 multiplexer, in which nine DS3s and252 DS1s may be terminated per 2U of a 23″ rack. The DS1s may thusconnect to full density DS3 interfaces on the DS3 breakout panels 180via the one or more multiplexers 190. The NGMG multiplexers 190 may befully integrated into the NGMG management, via flow throughconfiguration and status. In other words, NGMG management tools mayaccept configuration information and transfer it to the NGMGmultiplexers 190 so that the user does not have to separately manage theNGMG multiplexers 190.

A plurality of telephony equipment migration modules 135 are connectedjust in front of the DS3 and DS1 termination frames 155, 170. Locatingthe telephony equipment migration modules 135 just in front of the DS3and DS1 termination frames 155, 170 limits the rewiring effort formigration and avoids or significantly reduces the need for changes tocable records following migration. Some of the telephony equipmentmigration modules 135 provide DS1 termination and others provide DS3termination. The telephony equipment migration modules 135 allow onwardconnections to both the CLASS 4 switch 110 and the NGMGs 185 viaappropriate cables and possibly adaptors.

The telephony equipment migration modules 135 include relays that allowsignal switching between the CLASS 4 switch 110 and the NGMGs 185 andthe ability to test new links as they are connected. Once ready, theNGMGs 185 may be activated and all traffic can be diverted from theCLASS 4 switch 110 to the NGMGs 185. The cut may be completed in shorttimescales, possibly in less than one minute. Equally quick reversion ispossible in the event of any problems during the cut.

During migration, the existing transport cables 115 are disconnectedfrom the DS3 and DS1 termination frames 155, 170 reconnected to thetelephony equipment migration modules 135. Temporary jumpers 140 connectthe telephony equipment migration modules 135 to the DS3 and DS1termination frames 155, 170 during the migration. Remote coupling cables125 connect the telephony equipment migration modules 135 to the NGMGs185. The telephony equipment migration modules 135 control signalrouting; to the CLASS 4 switch 110 pre-cut and to the NGMG 185 duringtesting and post-cut.

After the cut, the transport cable 115 and the remote coupling cable 125(to the NGMGs) may be directly or indirectly connected to each other andthe telephony equipment migration modules 135 may be removed. Thisallows a cost reduction for the migration by recovering most of themigration hardware and increases long-term reliability. At any timeafter the cut (or never), the legacy CLASS 4 switch 110 may be removed,for example to free up physical space. Minimal extra wiring effort isrequired if cable trays are left in place. More significant rewiringallows the whole floor space to be freed up.

Migration of the DS1 termination frame 170 will now be explained.

Various cables are provided for the migration.

One or more transport personality cables are provided that includeappropriate connectors at one end for mating with the connectors 120 onthe DSX-1/transport cables 115 and appropriate connectors at the otherend for connection to transport cable connectors 136 on the telephonyequipment migration module 135.

One or more legacy telephony equipment personality cables are alsoprovided that include connectors at one end that are similar to theconnectors 120 on the transport cables 115 (to connect to the DS1termination frame 155) and appropriate connectors at the other end forconnection to legacy telephony equipment connectors 137 on the telephonyequipment migration module 135.

One or more remote coupling cables 125 are also provided which includeappropriate connectors at one end to connect to the multiplexer 190 andappropriate connectors 130 at the other end to connect to thereplacement telephony equipment connectors 138 on the telephonyequipment migration module 135. The connectors on the telephonyequipment migration module 135 end may be directly couplable with theconnectors on the telephony equipment migration module 135 of thetransport cable personality cables. This is so that, after migration,the remote coupling cables 125 can be directly connectors to theconnectors 120 on the transport personality cables, allowing removal ofthe telephony equipment migration module 135.

The remote coupling cable connectors 130 at the telephony equipmentmigration module 135 end are effectively the demarcation point betweenexisting transport runs and the replacement telephony equipment 105. Thelong-term presence of these connectors 130 in a predetermined locationrelative to the DS1 termination frame 170 means that existing cablerecords for the DSX-1 (transport) cables remain valid.

The transport personality cables and the legacy telephony equipmentpersonality cables may be relatively short, for example less than 6 ft(approximately 1.8 m) in length, and may be unshielded.

In terms of the grounding of shields for the remote coupling cables 125,in current DSX-1 transport cables, shields are grounded at the DSX-1arrangement 165 and the connectors float at the DS1 termination panel155 end. It is not possible to extend shielding to the multiplexer 190after the telephony equipment migration module 135 is removed. Theremote coupling cable shields are thus grounded at the multiplexer 190end and the connectors 130 are floated at the telephony equipmentmigration module 135 end.

To avoid cable length issues, the multiplexers 190 are locatedsufficiently close to the DSX-1 arrangement 165 that the total DSX-1arrangement 165 to multiplexer 190 cable length is within the normalsignal loss budget.

Line build Out (LBO) is the process attenuating the output of atransmitter to reduce the power delivered to the line, such that thesignal level at a predefined distant point (normally the DSX panelarrangement 165) is within a predefined range. Specifically, if thetransmitter power is correct for the maximal line length, an attenuatorneeds to be included if the signal level is not to be excessively highwhen a very short cable is used. Ideally, the multiplexers 190 should belocated close enough to the DSX-1 arrangement 165 that the line buildout does not need to be changed.

Multiplexer 190 to NGMG breakout panel 180 signals are unlikely to be alimiting factor. This is because DS3 cables which connect themultiplexer 190 to the NGMG breakout panel 180 can be up to a normal 900ft (approximately 274 meters) in length and Ethernet cables may be up toa standard 100 m in length.

Migration of the DS3 termination frame 170 will now be explained.

Each DS3 termination frame bay terminates six DS3s. Connections to theDS3 termination frame 170 are via standard BNC connectors onto littledaughter cards. In some embodiments, the telephony equipment migrationmodules 135 use the same, BNC, connectors.

Connections to the DS3 termination frame 170 from the telephonyequipment migration module 135 may be made via short, in-bay, BNC jumpercables 140. One end of the jumpers 140 is attached to the telephonyequipment migration module 135. The other end of the jumpers 140 dropsinto the DS3 termination frame bays down an existing cable duct. Thejumpers 140 mate with the BNCs on the existing daughter boards.

One option for connecting the existing transport cables 115 to thetelephony equipment migration module 135 is to untie the existingtransport cables 115, pull them up the existing cable duct and thendirectly connect them to the telephony equipment migration modules 135.This option is particularly clean if the eventual desire is to removethe DS3 termination frame hardware while leaving existing cable trays inplace.

Another option for connecting the existing transport cables 115 to thetelephony equipment migration module 135 is to drop a second set ofjumpers down the existing cable duct, with the free end of the jumpersmating with the existing connectors 120 on the transport cables 115.This option is relatively quick and allows line mounted BNC connectorsto be tied into existing cable management bars.

The remote coupling cables 125 for connecting the DS3 telephonyequipment migration module 135 to the NGMG breakout panel 180 terminatesin standard BNC connectors at both ends. During migration, one end ofthe remote coupling cables 125 is connected to replacement telephonyequipment connectors 138 on the DS3 telephony equipment migration module135 and the other end is connected to the DS3 NGMG breakout panel 180.

In terms of the grounding of shields, at the telephony equipmentmigration modules 135, the BNCs are isolated from the local ground.Shields of each group of the three associated transport cables 115,legacy telephony equipment coupling cables 140 and the remote couplingcables 125 are cross-connected.

In terms of the grounding of shields, at the NGMG breakout panel 180,all of the BNCs are isolated from the local ground. Signals aretransformer-coupled (for example by an isolation transformer) andhigh-frequency noise on the shield is bypassed to the local ground viaan isolating capacitor.

After migration, the DS3 transport cables 115, which terminate with BNCconnectors at the DS3 telephony equipment migration module 135 end, andthe remote coupling cables 125, which also terminate with BNC connectorsat the DS3 telephony equipment migration module 135 end, are directlyconnected to each other using BNC joiners or other types of adaptor. Thetransport cables 115 and the remote coupling cables 125 may be left inthe cable tray of the DS3 termination frame enclosure or may be leftwithin the DS3 termination frame enclosure itself.

The BNC connectors 130 on these remote coupling cables 125 areeffectively the demarcation point between the existing DS3 transportruns and the NGMG 185. The long-term presence of these connectors 130 ateach DS3 termination frame bay means that existing cable records for theDS3 transport cables 115 remain valid.

To avoid cable length issues, the NGMGs 185 may be located so that totalcable length between the transport cables 115 and the NGMGs 185(possibly via the telephony equipment migration modules 135) is withinthe normal signal loss budget.

As described above, the CLASS 4 switch 110 and NGMG 185 arecommunicatively coupled, with intermediate switching provided by thetelephony equipment migration module 135. Carrying out migration in thisway may be low cost, provides reliable operation, enables efficientmatching of channel counts and may also provide flexible mountingoptions.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a telephony system 100 aftertelephony equipment migration in accordance with some embodiments.

After migration, the existing transport cables 115 are directly orindirectly connected to the remote coupling cables 125 that connectedthe NGMG breakout panels 180 to the telephony equipment migrationmodules 135 during migration. The telephony equipment migration modules135 and the jumpers 140 have been removed for reuse. The legacytelephony equipment 110 is retired in-situ or may be removed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a telephony equipment migration module135 in accordance with some embodiments.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 depicted in FIG. 7 is inthe form of a legacy DS1 migration panel. The legacy DS1 migration panelis a 3U 23″ unit that switches up to eighty-four DS1s. The telephonyequipment migration module 135 includes a power and control interface145 such that it can be controlled over a PoE connection. The telephonyequipment migration module 135 is readily removable after migration. Thetelephony equipment migration module 135 may be approximately 125 mmdeep and its top and rear faces may be easily removable, for ease ofaccess.

Inside the telephony equipment migration module 135, the connectors 136,137, 138 are attached to passive midplane. Only active components areentirely non-critical. The telephony equipment migration module 135comprises status LEDs and its serial number may be stored in SerialElectrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (SEEPROM). Activecomponents on the midplane (i.e. those with silicon elements which couldin theory fail), are such that their failure is non-critical. Forexample, an LED which fails to display or a serial EEPROM which does notreport a serial number may be an inconvenience, but the failure does notcause any impact on the signals passing through the telephony equipmentmigration module 135.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 includes relays or bypassfunctionality and input/output (I/O) circuitry on replaceable boards;for example using six relays or bypass cards and one I/O card. Thetelephony equipment migration module 135 uses connectors which are thesame as those in existing DS1 termination frame bays and are stronglyself-aligning and do not require retainers. Given the potentiallytemporary nature of the telephony equipment migration module 135,requirement for field replacement are relatively low. The telephonyequipment migration module 135 is cased in a standard 3U 23″ panel,which offers flexibility in terms of mounting options.

The telephony equipment migration modules 135 may includemanufacturer-provided firmware which offers a simple Internet Protocol(IP) interface to the telephony equipment migration module 135. This maybe used to retrieve the serial number of the telephony equipmentmigration module 135, to confirm the presence of replaceable elements,to light a “Locate” LED to verify physical/logical mappings, to retrievea current relay status and/or to control the relays or other switchinghardware. IP configuration may be via port-based DHCP from informationon the switches.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a telephony equipment migration module135 in accordance with some embodiments.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 depicted in FIG. 8 is inthe form of a DS3 termination frame migration panel, although it may beused for other types of migration. The DS3 termination frame migrationpanel is in the form of a 2U 19″ unit that switches up to six DS3s. Thetelephony equipment migration module 135 includes a power and controlinterface 145 such that it can be controlled over a PoE connection. Thetelephony equipment migration module 135 may be approximately 100 mmdeep and its top and rear faces may be easily removable. The telephonyequipment migration module 135 comprises various features in common withthe telephony equipment migration module 135 described above in relationto FIG. 8 and repeated explanation of such features is thereforeomitted.

The telephony equipment migration module 135 may comprise a semi-passivemidplane and I/O circuitry. The external connectors 136, 137, 138 areattached to the semi-passive midplane. The I/O circuitry may be providedon a hot-swappable board

The telephony equipment migration module 135 may be cased in a standard2U 19″ panel, which offers flexibility in terms of mounting options.

The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples ofthe invention. Further embodiments of the invention are envisaged.

For example, although embodiments have been described in which thetelephony equipment migration modules 135 are located in, on or underthe same rack as the legacy telephony equipment 105, they could insteadbe located in, on or under the same rack as the replacement telephonyequipment 110. In this case, extension cables could be run from thetransport cables 115 that are located in the predetermined location tothe telephony equipment migration modules 135, with coupling cablesrunning back to the legacy telephony equipment and coupling cablesrunning to the replacement telephony equipment 110.

In some embodiments, the power and control interface or port 145 isdescribed as being suitable for PoE. In other embodiments, it may be anRS422 interface with power.

In some embodiments described above, the telephony equipment migrationmodule 135 is securable to a telephony equipment rack. In otherembodiments, the telephony equipment migration module 135 may be placedon the floor or secured to a nearby wall instead of being secured to therack itself.

An aspect in relation to the invention provides a telephony equipmentmigration module, comprising:

-   -   one or more transport cable connectors;    -   one or more legacy telephony equipment connectors for        transmitting transport signals to and receiving transport        signals from legacy telephony equipment; and    -   one or more replacement telephony equipment connectors for        transmitting transport signals to and receiving transport        signals from replacement telephony equipment.

It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any oneembodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other featuresdescribed, and may also be used in combination with one or more featuresof any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of theembodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not describedabove may also be employed without departing from the scope of theinvention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A telephony equipment migrationarrangement, comprising: legacy telephony equipment located in one ormore equipment bays including at least a first equipment bay; at leastone transport cable having one or more connectors, the at least onetransport cable providing external carrier connectivity; replacementtelephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays remote fromthe legacy telephony equipment; at least one remote coupling cableconnected to the replacement telephony equipment and comprising one ormore connectors; and at least one telephony equipment migration modulein a location having a predetermined locational relationship with thefirst equipment bay in which the legacy telephony equipment is located,the at least one telephony equipment migration module comprising: one ormore transport cable connectors that are communicatively coupled to theone or more connectors of the at least one transport cable; and one ormore replacement telephony equipment connectors that are communicativelycoupled to the one or more connectors of the at least one remotecoupling cable, wherein the at least one transport cable iscommunicatively coupled to the at least one remote coupling cable viathe at least one telephony equipment migration module.
 2. Thearrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one telephonyequipment migration module is located in one or more equipment bays inthe location having the predetermined locational relationship with thefirst equipment bay in which the legacy telephony equipment is located.3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the one or morereplacement telephony equipment connectors are configured to transmittransport signals to and receive transport signals from the replacementtelephony equipment, and wherein the at least one telephony equipmentmigration module comprises: one or more legacy telephony equipmentconnectors configured to transmit transport signals to and receivetransport signals from the legacy telephony equipment; and one or morecontrollers operable to control switching between: transport signalsbeing transmitted to the legacy telephony equipment or transport signalsbeing transmitted to the replacement telephony equipment, and transportsignals being received from the legacy telephony equipment or transportsignals being received from the replacement telephony equipment.
 4. Thearrangement according to claim 3, wherein the one or more controllersare configured to default to transport signals being transmitted to thelegacy telephony equipment and transport signals being received from thelegacy telephony equipment.
 5. The arrangement according to claim 3,wherein the at least one telephony equipment migration module comprises:one or more relays that are controllable to switch between transportsignals being transmitted to the legacy telephony equipment or transportsignals being transmitted to the replacement telephony equipment; andone or more relays that are controllable to switch between transportsignals being received from the legacy telephony equipment or transportsignals being received from the replacement telephony equipment.
 6. Thearrangement according to claim 5, wherein at least some of the one ormore relays comprise latching relays.
 7. The arrangement according toclaim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more transport cableconnectors of the at least one telephony equipment migration module isdirectly connectable to the one or more connectors of the at least onetransport cable.
 8. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein atleast one of the one or more transport cable connectors of the at leastone telephony equipment migration module is not directly connectable tothe one or more connectors of the at least one transport cable, thearrangement further comprising: one or more adaptors comprising: one ormore transport cable connectors that are directly connected to the oneor more connectors of the at least one transport cable; and one or moreconnectors that are directly connectable to the one or more transportcable connectors of the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule and are directly connectable to the one or more connectors of theat least one remote coupling cable, wherein the at least one transportcable is indirectly connectable to the at least one telephony equipmentmigration module via the one or more adaptors.
 9. The arrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or morereplacement telephony equipment connectors of the at least one telephonyequipment migration module is directly connectable to the one or moreconnectors of the at least one remote coupling cable.
 10. Thearrangement according to claim 1, further comprising one or moretelephony equipment migration module mounts, the one or more telephonyequipment migration module mounts being securable to a rack in which thefirst equipment bay is located and to the at least one telephonyequipment migration module.
 11. The arrangement according to claim 1,wherein the one or more connectors of the at least one remote couplingcable are directly connectable to the one or more connectors of the atleast one transport cable.
 12. The arrangement according to claim 1,wherein the predetermined locational relationship comprises the one ormore connectors of the remote coupling cable being mounted in a locationin the vicinity of the first equipment bay.
 13. The arrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein the predetermined locational relationshipcomprises the one or more connectors of the remote coupling cable beingmounted in the location of the first equipment bay.
 14. The arrangementaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one transport cable iscommunicatively coupled to the legacy telephony equipment.
 15. Thearrangement according to claim 1, wherein the replacement telephonyequipment comprises a new generation telephony equipment whichsupersedes the legacy telephony equipment.
 16. The arrangement accordingto claim 1, wherein the legacy telephony equipment comprises one or morelegacy telephony switches and wherein the replacement telephonyequipment comprises one or more replacement telephony switches.
 17. Amethod of migrating telephony equipment, comprising: providing at leastone telephony equipment migration module; connecting at least onetransport cable to the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule, the at least one transport cable providing external carrierconnectivity; connecting at least one coupling cable to the at least onetelephony equipment migration module and to legacy telephony equipment;connecting at least one remote coupling cable to the at least onetelephony equipment migration module and to replacement telephonyequipment; testing the replacement telephony equipment using at leastthe at least one telephony equipment migration module; activating thereplacement telephony equipment; decoupling the at least one transportcable from the at least one telephony equipment migration module;decoupling the at least one remote coupling cable from the at least onetelephony equipment migration module; and communicatively coupling theat least one transport cable to the at least one remote coupling cable.18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said activating thereplacement telephony equipment comprises activating the replacementtelephony equipment via the at least one telephony equipment migrationmodule.
 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least onetelephony equipment migration module comprises: one or more legacytelephony equipment connectors configured to transmit transport signalsto and receive transport signals from the legacy telephony equipment;one or more replacement telephony equipment connectors configured totransmit transport signals to and receive transport signals from thereplacement telephony equipment; and one or more controllers operable tocontrol switching between: transport signals being transmitted to thelegacy telephony equipment or transport signals being transmitted to thereplacement telephony equipment; and transport signals being receivedfrom the legacy telephony equipment or transport signals being receivedfrom the replacement telephony equipment.
 20. The method according claim19, further comprising: operating the one or more controllers to switchfrom transport signals being received from the legacy telephonyequipment to transport signals being received from the replacementtelephony equipment, while transport signals are being transmitted tothe legacy telephony equipment.
 21. The method according claim 19,further comprising: operating the one or more controllers to switch fromtransport signals being transmitted to the legacy telephony equipment totransport signals being transmitted to the replacement telephonyequipment, while transport signals are being received from the legacytelephony equipment.
 22. A telephony equipment migration module,comprising: one or more transport cable connectors; one or more legacytelephony equipment connectors configured to transmit transport signalsto and receive transport signals from legacy telephony equipment; one ormore replacement telephony equipment connectors configured to transmittransport signals to and receive transport signals from replacementtelephony equipment; and one or more controllers operable to controlswitching from: transport signals being transmitted to the legacytelephony equipment to transport signals being transmitted to thereplacement telephony equipment, while transport signals are beingreceived from the legacy telephony equipment; and/or transport signalsbeing received from the legacy telephony equipment to transport signalsbeing received from the replacement telephony equipment, while transportsignals are being transmitted to the legacy telephony equipment.
 23. Atelephony equipment migration arrangement, comprising: legacy telephonyequipment located in one or more equipment bays including at least afirst equipment bay; at least one transport cable having one or moreconnectors, the at least one transport cable providing external carrierconnectivity; replacement telephony equipment located in one or moreequipment bays remote from the legacy telephony equipment; and at leastone remote coupling cable connected to the replacement telephonyequipment and comprising one or more connectors, wherein the at leastone remote coupling cable extends from the replacement telephonyequipment to a location having a predetermined locational relationshipwith the first equipment bay in which the legacy telephony equipment islocated to enable the one or more connectors of the at least one remotecoupling cable to be mounted in said location, and wherein the at leastone transport cable is communicatively coupled to the at least oneremote coupling cable.